Friday, July 30, 2010

This is the final installment of all the wonderful costumes, props and models that were on display on my latest visit to Universal Studios Hollywood on June 21, 2010.

Today is the turn of the 2008 computer-animated feature film The Tale of Despereaux, featuring maquettes and miniatures used in the creation of the movie.

Maquettes from The Tale of Despereaux

Most CGI (computer-generated imagery) animated characters start life as a sketch or small sculptures called 'maquettes'. The small model serves as a reference aid for the animator when creating a computer image of the character.

Despereaux character maquette

The adventurous mouse 'Despereaux Tilling' is voiced by Matthew Broderick.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Route 66 was a weekly 1960's American TV series where two young men travelled across America in a Corvette convertible.

The show which ran from 1960 to 1964 starred Martin Milner as 'Tod Stiles' and for two and a half seasons George Maharis as 'Buz Murdock'. Due to health reasons Glenn Corbett replaced Maharis late in the third season and traveled with him as 'Lincoln Case', until the show ended with the fourth and final season.

According to Wikipedia, several cars were used over the course of the filming of the black and white television series, as the Corvette was annually replaced with a newer model by General Motors, the shows' sponsor.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

In 1978 Glen A. Larson created the Battlestar Galactica TV show, which was later re-imagined in 2003 by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick as a mini-series, which then spawned a critically acclaimed TV series that ran from 2004 to 2009.

The sci-fi shows followed the survivors of the Twelve Colonies, which had been decimated by the robotic Cylons, as they searched, in a fleet of ragtag spacecraft led by the last Colonial warship Battlestar Galactica, for the fabled Thirteenth Colony of Earth.

Classic and new series Battlestar Galactica costume exhibit

at Universal Studios Hollywood

This fantastic costume and prop exhibit was photographed at Universal Studios Hollywood on June 21, 2010, with outfits from both the cult classic 1978-1979 series and the re-imagined show on display.

1970's Battlestar Galactica Colonial Warrior costume

Jean-Pierre Dorleac was the original series Costume Designer and was also responsible for other great wardrobes in 1980's TV shows like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Airwolf, Automan and Quantum Leap, to name but a few.

Classic Battlestar Galactica TV poster

Gleene Campbell was the Costume Designer for the modern day version of Battlestar Galactica and was even nominated along with his team for a 2004 Emmy for Outstanding Costumes for a Series.

Admiral Duty Blues costume worn by

Michelle Forbes in Battlestar Galactica

This 'Duty Blues' outfit was worn by Michelle Forbes when she notoriously guest-starred as 'Admiral Helena Cain' in Battlestar Galactica episodes 'Pegasus', the two-part 'Resurrection Ship' and the 2007 TV movie 'Razor'.

Michelle Forbes in costume as Admiral Cain

Also on display with the original costumes was this 'Top Gun' tankard prop used in the season two episode 'Scar'.'Starbuck' (Katee Sackhoff) concedesthe title of 'Top Gun' to her rival pilot 'Kat' and lets her drink from the coveted beer stein after she shoots down a scarred Cylon Raider that has been stalking the fleet.

Friday, July 23, 2010

In Dinner for Schmucks, the remake of the 1998 French film The Dinner Game (Le Diner de Cons), Paul Rudd plays a rising executive who must bring the dumbest guest to his boss's 'Dinner for Idiots' in order get his promotion and the perks that go with it.

He finds Steve Carrell's nerdy 'Barry' and these mouse figurine props seem to be from his character's private collection, what he calls his 'mouse-terpieces'.

Actual model props featured in Dinner for Schmucks

These original props from the movie were photographed on July 21, 2010 at ArcLight Hollywood cinema.

These faux taxidermied mice creations are the work of Stephen, Charles and Edward Chido, the Bronx-born brothers and F/X artists also responsible for the puppets used in Team America: World Police.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

In the Indie comedy drama The Kids Are All Right, the teenage children of a lesbian couple, played by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, decide to get in contact with their sperm donor father, played by Mark Ruffalo.

Here are some of the original costumes featured in the sweet, funny and moving movie at the ArcLight Hollywood, including outfits worn by Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Yaya DaCosta on display in the cinema foyer on July 12, 2010 and later moved upstairs for cinema goers to enjoy.

ArcLight Hollywood movie costume exhibit

for The Kids Are All Right

Mary Claire Hannan was responsible for Costume Design on the movie.

The Kids Are All Right movie poster

The grey outfit of the left was worn by Annette Bening as 'Nic' and the clothes on the right by Julianne Moore as 'Jules', who play the same-sex partners and mothers of the children in the movie.

Costumes worn by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore

in The Kids Are All Right

The outfits were from a scene where they were sat watching TV towards the start of the movie.

Outfits worn by Yaya DaCosta and Mark Ruffalo

in The Kids Are All Right

The outfit on the right was worn by Mark Ruffalo as 'Paul', the kids biological father by artificial insemination, when he his working in his co-op vegetable garden at the beginning of the movie. The costume of the left was worn by Yaya DaCosta as 'Tanya', his restaurant employee and occasional lover.

Another set of costumes form the movie could be seen on display at ArcLight Sherman Oaks and this exhibit featured costumes worn by Josh Hutcherson as the fifteen year old son, 'Laser', and by Mia Wasikowska as eighteen year old 'Joni'.